The times., 1887-12-09
AMONG THE SWEETS.
How Sugar is Handled on the Spacious
Levec nc New Orleans.


Now that the busy season is opening,
the levee will soon become tho scene Of
hustle and activity. The whistle of
STEAMBOATS,, the yelling Of boss stevedores,
tho whooping Of drivers as they back up
to load and unload freight, cracking their
whips about the ears of the mules or rails
ing welts along their sides with the lash,
the jam of carts, wagons and floats al
ways heralds the approach OF winter on
the levcc and the resuscitation Of trade.
From the middle of October until the
balny breezes Of spring are about soften
ing into the airs of summer the work on
the levee is almost continuous.
The principal commodities handled are
the staple products of the state-cotton,
sugar and molasses. A hogshead of sugar
is huge arrangement of slaves, hoops
and heads, weighing, when filled with
sugar, from /, 100 to 1000 pounds. The
cooper shop and the plantation together
produce the hogshead of sugar. When
the cane has been cut and pressed and the
juice boiled into sugar the sweet stuff is
packed into the hogsEead, put on board a
steamboat and shipped to this city, con-
signed to tho factor representing the
planter. On arriving at the landing the
sugar is unloaded on the wharf, where it
is allowed to remain for twenty-four
hours, and even longer when room is
plentiful. Then, if not hauled away, it is
rolled into the sugar sheds at the expense
of the owner.
Open kettle sugar ia sold to the dealer
on the levee. The factor is the seller,
whether he employs broker or hot. The
majority of factors have the services Of a
broker to attend to the sales on the land
ing. The first hand factor or broker only
sells in lots. and the bids are either made
openly, as the buyers gather around the
hogsheads, or the sugar is sold Oh private
offers if the price proffered is the highest.
The party selling the sugar generally
does the sampling, either in person or
through clerk or other employe. This
is done by means of long steel instru-
ment known as the gimlet, which is run
through the bunghole down into the
sugar, twisted about and drawn out full
OF the saccharine matter. This operation
is performed several times, until suf-
ticient quantity is obtained to clearly
show the quality of the article. These
samples are generally piled up for the
Of for the critical examination of the
buyer. After they have answered the
purpose they are put into little paper bags
and kept by the broker or dealer as type
for reference, or sent to the consignee.
1t is while the sampling process is GO
ing on that the buyers gather round, each
in his turn making his offer. The buyer
generally attends the sales to personally
inspect his purchase, but sometimes sends
for samples, and then, on receipt of his
goods, compares them with the samples
furnished him.
Although the first hand broker sells
but round lots, in case of damage of any
portion of q lot or it showing up as an in
ferior grade, he takes a reduced price for
it; still the buyer must take the entire
lot. Second hand brokers sell in any
way, by the whole OF broken lots. Clari-
fled sugar is sold by sample in the Sugar
Exchange. The supplies arc collected
and taken to the exchange, where they
are spread out en- the table for the inspec-
tion of buyers.
After the sugar is sold it is weighed
and gauged and is then ready for ship
ment after the first cooperage. 1t is
swung from the scales by means of
large hooks that catch on tho chimes of
the hogshead so that when the beam is
pulled down the hogshead is lifted from
the ground and the weight ascertained.
-Four men usually constitute the weigh
ing gang, together with the clerk taking
the records of the weights. These hogs
heads as general thing run from / 100
to 1,500 pounds, but in weighing open
kettle sugar the figures give the five and
ten pounds. Thus, if hogshead weighs
1,214 pounds it goes down as 1910
pounds. Then IL per cent is knocked
off from the gross weight. In clarified
sugar the actual weight goes.
When the hogsheads have been COOP
cred the boss drayman or his clerk, with
his teams, appears on the scene. The
sugar is marked, rolled on the floats,
and hauled to its destination in the city
or to the point of shipment, in case it is
being forwarded to somc other port, do
mestic or foreign. The low float is driv-
en- up close TO tho lots to be handled, q
skid is hooked into the iron brackets at
the side of the float, and the teamsters
strain themselves in rolling up the great
hogsheads on to the bottom of the wag-
on. After this handling the sugar soon
comes into use on the table or in the
pantry.
Molasses i5 disposed Of in the same
way as sugar. The brokers always come
down to the levee to see the samples of
as they are not taken to the
exchange. Immediately OH their arrival
the barrels. of molasses arc coopered by
tho first hand cooper. SO as to keep them
light and prevent leakage. e.-New Orleans